Strawberries and Champagne
by Elizabeth Bathory
Summary: #29 - food from the LJ Pepperony 100 challenge - Tony introduces Pepper to one of his favorite delicacies. *AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN PRIOR TO THE RELEASE OF IM2*


Strawberries and Champagne

Strawberries and Champagne

Tony Stark stood in the middle of his living room and stared at his assistant and recently acquired girlfriend, Pepper Potts, in shock. He seriously could not believe his ears at what she had just said.

"You are seriously telling me that you have never had strawberries with champagne?" he repeated. "In all the years you have known me?"

"No Tony. I haven't." Pepper stated, wondering why he was making such a big deal about this. "What is the big fuss about it?"

"This is something I can not explain to you. I have to demonstrate it." Tony said as he grabbed his car keys. "I knew about this since I was about thirteen. I can't believe you haven't snitched one in all these years."

"How did you know about that at thirteen?" Pepper asked, seriously doubting that he actually drank that young.

"My mother loved them." Tony responded. "Get comfy and I will be back in a bit." He told her before ducking out the door.

Pepper was seriously worried and curious about what she was in for as she slipped into a tank top and shorts and relaxed on the couch to wait for Tony's return.

About two hours later, Tony came back with an armload of bags and went right into the kitchen.

"Tony, you can't go grocery shopping for yourself and you manage all of this? What did you buy anyway?" Pepper asked in shock.

"This is different." Tony said as he put the champagne on ice. "Gourmet shops have cute sales girls who like helping those who look completely lost…like yours truly."

"What cute sales girls?" Pepper asked with a twinge of jealousy in her voice.

"None that crossed into your territory." Tony said defensively as he tried to hide what he was doing. "As soon as I told them all of this was for my girlfriend, they cooled their jets very quickly."

Pepper was relieved. "What are you doing in there anyway?" she asked as she was trying to get a peek.

"Will you just sit the hell down and let me do this?" Tony said in exasperation. "One thing I do know how to do is romance women. I promise you will enjoy this but you have to let me finish."

Pepper reluctantly sat back down, tucking her legs under her on the couch as Tony brought over the ice bucket with the Cristal champagne and two flutes. Then he brought over two covered plates, which he lightly smacked at Pepper's hand when she tried to peek.

"Now, if you tell me you are on a diet with this I am going to tell you that the diet can be damned for now." Tony explained as he popped the champagne expertly and poured it into the glasses. He handed one glass to Pepper and set his own down as he uncovered the one plate with a mixture of plain and chocolate covered strawberries.

"Take a strawberry and then sip the champagne." Tony instructed her as he popped one of the chocolate ones in his mouth.

Pepper took one of the plain strawberries and bit into it and then sipped her champagne. "That is amazing. It seems to brighten the flavor of the champagne so much."

"I told you so. You should try it with the chocolate." Tony said as he leaned back on the couch after popping another strawberry. "If you really want to be adventurous, I have more." Tony said with a smile as he uncovered the other plate – a chocoholic's delight - chocolate covered pineapples, oranges, apples, melons, cherries, berries, truffles, cookies, and gourmet chocolates.

"Do you want me to weigh a ton?" Pepper exclaimed.

"Who said you have to eat it all at once? I actually learned how to keep these very well." Tony said as he popped a cherry into her mouth.

"With all this chocolate, do you have any hidden motives here, Tony?"

Tony put on his best innocent look. "No. I just wanted to introduce you to some of the finer things that you may have denied yourself but now you'll need to get used to."

"So chocolate being an aphrodisiac means nothing?" Pepper said with a smile as she sipped her champagne.

"No…but if you feel so inclined I am most certainly not going to refuse."

Pepper smiled as she grabbed the champagne and the strawberries and started upstairs, giving Tony a look back before she continued.

Tony got that hint loud and clear. He put the rest of the stuff on ice and ran after his lady, wondering where she wanted to finish.


End file.
